Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, Lyric Theatre

Improvised theatre, comedy and oddball musicals are everywhere at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, but it's no secret that only Showstopper! succeeds in combining the three to winning effect.

This improvised musical has been touring for many years, astounding fans along that way. Having won a following with regular stops at the Southbank's Udderbelly Festival and run at the St James Theatre, Showstopper! then became the first improvised show to score a West End run. It plays at Shaftesbury Avenue's on Mondays only until December.

To the uninitiated, a spontaneous show sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Big shot musical theatre producer 'Cameron' (cue knowing titters) phones to say he needs a new musical, pronto. And so it is up to the audience to come up with setting, musical influences, guitar style and, most hilariously, title. Expect silliness and punning a-plenty as, based on the whims of the audience, seven seasoned performers make up a musical.

Press were invited to review two productions, to demonstrate the scope and originality of each show. There was a magical fairy grotto musical called Puck Off with catchy numbers in the vein of Wicked, Les Mis, Jersey Boys and more. Then, an utterly different Daily-Mail-themed show, The Lyin' King with ultra contemporary refereneces to the Cereal Cafe burning down and songs in the style of .

In the wrong hands it would be agonising watching, but the sheer talent and stupendously quick-wits of the Showstoppers performers create intricate, all-singing, all-dancing musicals time after time. The improvisation is so slick and impressive, some cynics have suggested that it's too good to be spontaneous and must be some kind of a trick (having sat through two, we are convince this is pure quick-witted talent and no cheating).

The resulting production might not quite have the hit musical numbers of a Lloyd Webber show, but the quality and enjoyment factor is always high. Best of all, with fringe-priced tickets (rather than three figure West End prices) you can come back again and again and always have a different experience.